WAR AND ELECTIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23719, 27 July 1940, Page 15

WAR AND ELECTIONS

Sir, —The very great importance of the subject of your sub-leader of Wednesday warrants a call on your space. In the old days the Maoris often used to change their leadership promptly when war broke out between tribes. They had a realistic grasp of the fact that leaders who might bo tho best available for peacetime might also be hopelessly unsuited to tho dynamic drive needed for war purposes. Headers may ask what all this has to do with local body elections, but the answer is obvious. All over the Dominion local bodies arc taking a very important part in the war eflort. 'J.heir members and officers usually comprise the backbone, and the directive intelligence of patriotic, emergency precautions, and other organisational activities connected with the war. War is a reason, not for postponing election-;, but for holding them. Indeed, even the statutory time should not be waited for if war breaks out. Nationally and locally, the advent of war should be met by immediate national and local body elections. As things now are, the whole patriotic and war emergency effort would bo reduced to impotence if all the local body members and staffs withdrew.

Mr. J. Saycgh is on sound ground when 110 firmly declares that local body members should not extend their terms without consulting tho public. What aro we fighting for if not for freedom of choice? For members to vote an extension for themselves would be tantamount to self-election for the extension; that is, too thinly disguised dictatorship methods! Mr. It. T. Reid says ho was thinking of tho men overseas who were entitled to vote. Well, that does credit to Mr. Reid's heart, but, as one who was "overseas" in the Great War. I will put another point of view to him. When a man goes overseas to fight for the justice that is in him, for tho love of freedom, for chivalry toward the oppressed, lie naturally and necessarily relies upon those he leaves behind to do their manful best to help him win the war. That best can only bo achieved by putting tho best men—best for war dynamics—into all tho leading public positions, for it is leadership above all else that counts. Little as most of us lileo bureaucratic regimentation and control, we arc propared loyally to accept tho degree of it necessary in tho national and Empire interest, but to impose .'upon us a totally unnecessary period of disenfranehisement is a • travesty of the democracy we so sturdily proclaim to be the justification of our unparalleled effort against the evil forces of authoritarian domination. ' Matamata. T. E.-McMillan*